Forever Yours
by sky171
Summary: Ron and Hermione are young and in love. When he pops the question, it seems as if they will live happily ever after. All too soon, however, they realise that getting married is more complicated than just a simple 'I do'. Thanks to Kara for Betaing
1. The Question

Planning and organisation had never been Ron's strong point, and he was certainly not known for his big romantic gestures. He usually managed the odd bunch of flowers or an occasional meal, but generally, Hermione had come to realise that she should not expect too much from her boyfriend and was instead just grateful for the small things he did do.

This meant that deciding he was going to propose left Ron with a serious problem. He knew that, for all her talk of not minding his lack of big gestures, Hermione was really a closet romantic, and she would almost certainly have had the perfect proposal planned in her mind since she was old enough to know what the word meant. He was determined that this was one time when he was not going to let her down. He wanted the moment to be everything she had ever dreamed of and even though she would probably still say yes if he just clumsily blurted out the question one evening, he didn't want that to be the way it happened.

So, one Saturday afternoon, Ron found himself meeting Harry for a drink to get his advice. His sister and best friend had been engaged for just less than six months, though with no immediate plans to get married, thanks to both of them having to put everything into their new careers. Ron hoped that if anyone would be able to advise him it would be his best mate. Certainly, Ginny had seemed happy with however he had proposed.

The two met outside the Leaky Cauldron and after a quick greeting, they went inside to find themselves a table. Once Harry had bought them both a drink, Ron cleared his throat nervously.

"I've been thinking," he said.

Harry laughed. "Well, there's a first time for everything!"

Ron hit him playfully on the arm. "Shut up! I wanted to say that I've decidedtoaskHermionetomarryme," he said very quickly, without pausing for breath. Having said the words, he suddenly felt very nervous. Up until then, marrying Hermione was just something he had thought about to himself. Now that he had actually voiced his intentions, they felt very real and he was terrified. Was he really ready to get married? Yes, they had been dating for over a year, though it should have been longer if they hadn't both been acting like idiots, and he certainly couldn't imagine ever not being with her. But marriage?

Harry, however, was grinning. "That's brilliant, Ron! I'm really happy for you."

"Th-thanks," stuttered Ron. "I was wondering if you could help me, actually. I'm not really sure how to propose. I want it to be special and something that she'll remember forever but I haven't got a clue where to start."

"Well," replied Harry. "I wouldn't exactly win any prizes for romantic of the year!"

"You managed to get Ginny didn't you? How did you do that?"

"Are you sure you want to hear the intimate details of the relationship between me and your sister?" asked Harry, raising his eyebrows.

Ron blushed furiously. "Of course not! Just how you proposed. I assume there's nothing 'intimate' about that."

"Well…" Harry trailed off, unable to keep a straight face. "No, you're right. It was perfectly innocent. It was just after she learnt she'd passed her trial with the Harpies. I bought her new broom as a present for making the team. She made a terrible fuss about accepting it – she's worse than you are at taking gifts!"

Ron opened his mouth to protest but quickly thought better of it.

"Anyway, so I took her some deserted moors where I thought we'd have the chance to do a bit of flying in peace – it would have only required one or two memory charms if anyone saw us. After we had been flying for a while, I drew level with her and asked her to marry me."

"While you were still in the air?"

"Yep. Kissing in mid-air while attempting to keep two broomsticks straight is not easy, believe me. Anyway, she said yes so I suppose I did something right."

"That's no use for me – Hermione hates flying."

"It wasn't about the flying; it was the fact that we were doing something together that we both enjoy and that is special to us and to our relationship. After all, it was after a Quidditch match that we first-"

"Stop!" interrupted Ron loudly. "I do not need to hear about that."

"I was only going to say kissed, Ron; after all it's hardly a surprise for you – you were there!"

"Yes, I suppose. But what special thing do Hermione and I share? The first time we kissed was right in the middle of the Battle, when neither of us had slept, showered or eaten in who knows how long and we'd just had to go down to the Chamber of Secrets to take the fangs from a dead snake. It's not exactly the most romantic of memories!"

"No, so maybe that's not the best idea then. Well, what about Bill?"

"What about Bill?"

"He proposed to Fleur in France didn't he? Because that was somewhere that was important to Fleur. Is there anywhere important to Hermione?"

"Well, the holiday to Australia was kind of special, I think. But it's a bit much to go all the way back there to propose."

"Maybe you don't literally have to go back to Australia. Think; what was it that made that holiday so special?"

"Well, I suppose it was the fact that we were alone. I mean, no offence, mate, but sometimes, when the three of us were always together, it was hard to really talk to her or to show how I felt about her."

"I think you can safely say I won't be there when you propose, so you'll be alone then," Harry cut in with a grin.

"And when we were away, there was no fear, no worrying, no constantly checking over our shoulders. Yes, there was the initial anxiety of finding her parents but once we were done with that and everything was sorted between them all, it was like we were completely free of everything. Now that we're back home, we're still free of the fear, but there's so much more responsibility placed on us in England. We can't just go out and have fun or enjoy ourselves. There are people following us or approaching us all the time. I guess it would be nice to have that sense of freedom back. In Australia, no one knew who we were and it didn't matter to them what we had done or what we planned to do."

Harry was silent for a moment and Ron watched a sad look pass over his face.

"It's not your fault, Harry," he added. "We knew all of this would happen and I'm not complaining – I'm just saying that's why that holiday was so good for us."

"So you need somewhere to be alone then," Harry said slowly, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Yes, but where? Our jobs don't exactly allow us to just take time out for a holiday." Ron was already a year into the Auror training course, which he balanced with helping George at the shop, while Hermione had finished her seventh year and had almost immediately started work at the Ministry.

"Well what about Hogwarts then? It's not quite Australia but it is somewhere special to you both."

"I don't know if you'd noticed, mate, but Hogwarts tends to be quite busy; it's not the best place to go to be alone."

"Not in term time, but it's the summer holidays now – there'd be almost no one there so I'm sure you'd be able to find time to be alone. And it wouldn't matter where you went in the castle, it would be special."

Ron was grinning. "I think you're right," he said. "I've just got figure out exactly how now. Thanks, mate."

"It's no problem," replied Harry, a smile on his face. "Just let me know how you get on!

* * *

><p>A week later, after much planning and organisation, Ron told Hermione that he wanted to take her out. Surprised by his seeming spontaneity she readily agreed. When he Side-alonged them to Hogsmeade however, she was less than impressed.<p>

"Ron, why on earth have we come here?" she asked. "I can go to Hogsmeade any time I want to."

Ron felt immediately worried. He hadn't thought she would object to coming to Hogsmeade. His plan depended on it. "I just thought it would be nice to relive some of our old memories," he replied quickly. "We had such great times here during our Hogwarts' days, and when you were still at school last year, the only time I got to see you was on Hogsmeade weekends."

She laughed a little. "Honestly, Ron, I only finished school a few weeks ago. It's not really been long enough to be able to reminisce. But I suppose you're right - we did have some nice trips here when we were younger. She took his hand and they started walking casually along the high street. He felt relief run through him as she cheered up.

They ran a few errands and visited some of their old favourite places. Ron couldn't resist buying a special offer bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans and they spent a good twenty minutes trying them out. Ron went rather green when he found himself tasting a mouldy cheese flavoured one, while Hermione was quick to spit out her tentative bite of a pale pink one which turned out be toenail flavoured.

Early in the afternoon, Ron suggested they go and have lunch in the Three Broomsticks.

"And then I thought we could go up to Hogwarts," he added. "It's the holidays now and Professor McGonagall said it would be all right to pay a visit."

Hermione looked at him in surprise. "You've already asked her?"

"Well, I thought it couldn't hurt to be prepared," Ron answered, suddenly thinking he was being very obvious. He could tell she was going to guess what was happening. "After all, it's not like you've ever turned down the chance to visit the castle!"

"True," she replied, smiling.

They had a light lunch at the pub, with Madam Rosmerta providing free Butterbeer for her 'two favourite old pupils'. Hermione chatted about her work, saying how exciting it was to be starting in such an advanced position so soon after graduating, while Ron talked about his progress on the Auror training programme and his fear about the upcoming exams.

"We really have to do to well in these," he explained, "or they don't let us carry on to the next year. My practical is improving but I'm still worried about the written exams."

"I'll help you," Hermione reassured him. "I know you're clever enough to pass them – you just need to find the best way to revise."

"Thanks," he said, draining his Butterbeer. "We should probably get going. I told Professor McGonagall we'd be there by three."

They gave a quick farewell to Madam Rosmerta and started the walk to Hogwarts. Ron began to feel more and more nervous as they walked. Every few minutes, his hand would go to his pocket and he would check that the small jewellery box he had put so much effort in to acquiring was still there. Part of him just wanted to turn back and go home. He was terrified that he was going to do something wrong. And there was still the question of whether she would even say yes.

Eventually, they reached the grounds. Up ahead they saw the grand castle doors opening and a cloaked figure emerged, walking down to meet them. As the couple got closer, they realised it was Professor McGonagall, who was positively beaming to see them. Ron knew why, of course – he had let her in on his plan when he asked permission to visit the castle, but he really wished she would not be so obvious.

"Good afternoon," she said when they met. "How are you both?"

"Fine, thank you, Professor," replied Hermione. "Thank you so much for allowing us to visit the castle."

"It's no bother, Hermione. I was going to be here anyway, doing some preparations for next year. I saw you coming from my office window and decided to take a break to come and meet you. You're free to visit any part of the castle you wish. The current password to the Gryffindor tower is 'Nitwit, blubber, oddment, tweak'.'" Ron and Hermione smiled at the use of the words they remembered from their first year at the school.

"The library is also open if you wish, Hermione," added the Professor.

"Thank you, Professor, though I'm not sure whether we'll have time today – it's more of a social visit," said Ron, not wanting to encourage Hermione to start visiting the library – he would never to get to carry out his plan otherwise!

"Oh yes, of course," said McGonagall. "Sorry!"

"That's all right," said Hermione, looking confused. "It would be nice to visit the library. It wouldn't be a problem, would it Ron?"

"Er, no, I suppose not, but maybe we could go up to the tower first. I'd like a sit down after that walk."

They had reached the castle doors by this point and paused.

"Well, I'll let you be off then," said McGonagall. "I'm sure you still remember the way to the common room! You may stay as long as you want. Just come and see me in my office before you go."

They both agreed and made their way through the entrance hall and up the staircase to the portrait of the Fat Lady where they delivered the password and entered the familiar common room.

A fire had been lit in the grate, making the room cosy and shielding it from the slight wind that had picked up as they walked up to the castle. Ron and Hermione settled themselves on the sofa closest to the fire. Hermione rested her head on his shoulder and he put his arm around her.

"It's strange," she said after a while.

"What is?"

"Well, no matter where we go or what we do, there has always been something so special about this place. Harry used to say this was where he felt most at home and in some ways, I feel the same. As much as I love my parents, Hogwarts has always felt like a kind of home to me since I've been part of this world."

"There's certainly something about this place," replied Ron. "I suppose I learnt a lot here – not just from classes, but outside of them too. To find friends like you and Harry was the best thing that ever happened to me, and even though we argued, I can't imagine how my life would have been if we hadn't been friends. And then, to realise that you were something more to me, even if it took me a while was, well, amazing. I suppose my point is, Hermione, that I love you."

"I love you, too, Ron," she replied.

He shifted in his seat, reaching into his pocket to find the small box he knew was there. His heart began to beat faster as he slipped off the sofa and knelt in front of her. He could not believe the time had come. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his shaking hands.

"The thing is, Hermione, that my years here have taught me so much and one of them is that I can never be without you. So, Hermione Jean Granger, will you marry me?"

She had sat up straighter on the sofa when she had seen him kneel in front of her and at his final words, she let out a little gasp. Her eyes were shining and she was beaming. In that moment, to Ron, she looked more beautiful than she ever had before. And in the seconds she took to reply, his heart beating so fast he thought he would explode, it was all he could do not to grab her in his arms and kiss her.

The wait, however, was less than a minute, before she replied, "Yes! Of course I'll marry you." Her voice was overflowing with joy and she looked as if she was about to cry. His hand shaking, Ron removed the ring from the box and took her hand. When she saw the ring, she gasped again. "But that's –"

"Your grandmother's ring," he finished. "I know you once spoke of how beautiful it was and that you knew you nan wanted you to have it so I went to see see your parents to ask for it. Your mum was thrilled – it was all I could do to stop her contacting you immediately with congratulations. I wanted so much for today to be a surprise."

"Oh, it has been," she replied. "I had no idea that you were planning anything. And I suppose Professor McGonagall knows?"

"Yes she was more than happy to offer Hogwarts services for the occasion. I just wanted this to be perfect. And all the stuff I said before was true. This place will always be special because it's where I realised I loved you."

She kissed him. "I meant what I said too. This day could not have been any better. Thank you so much."

"So," he said cheekily, "do you still want to visit the library?"

She laughed. "No, I've got a wedding to organise now! Just think of how much there is to do. Who else knows about today?"

"Only Harry. I thought you would want to tell the rest yourself.

She beamed. "Well, I suppose we ought to get going! I want to see everyone."

He took her hand and they headed to McGonagall's office. She took only one look at their faces and let out an exclamation of delight, immediately knowing that Ron's plan must have been a success.

"Congratulations! I'm so pleased for you both. I hope that you will be very happy together."

"Thank you, Professor," said Ron. "And thank you so much for letting me use the Castle for this. I couldn't think of anywhere more appropriate. I hope it is all right that this has been a short visit. Hermione is anxious to tell our families!"

"Of course. Good luck with everything. It has been wonderful to see you both again."

The said goodbye and left the castle. As they walked through the grounds Ron put his arm around his fiancé's waist and she smiled.

"I can't believe we're getting married!"

"I can't believe we have to go home and tell Mum!"

Hermione laughed. "Not to mention the rest of your family."

Ron paled at thought of his brothers' teasing. "Well, no time like the presence, I suppose," he said, taking her hand in his and continuing down the hill towards Hogsmeade.


	2. Making Plans

They knew it would not take long to tell their families. Molly insisted on having her children over for Sunday lunch every week, and so they knew that they would have opportunity to tell everyone then, but it was decided that they would tell their parents first. Hermione's mum already knew after all, and with the two of them staying at The Burrow, Molly was bound to guess as soon as they stepped in the door.

The couple wandered slowly back from Hogwarts to Hogsmeade, in order to Apparate to Hermione's parents' house. Every few minutes, Hermione would sneak a peek at the ring on her finger. It felt so strange to have it there, but it was so right. The ring had belonged to her father's mother who had died when Hermione was ten. Hermione had always loved the way it sparkled, and her father used to tell her that as a baby, they were often able to get her to stop crying by catching her attention with something shiny.

As they walked, they began to talk.

"When were you thinking we should get married?" Hermione asked.

"Um…I hadn't really thought about it. I wanted to wait until you said yes first!"

"I suppose it would make most sense to wait a while, like Harry and Ginny. After all, you've got your training and I've only just started at the Ministry."

She didn't really sound very enthusiastic about the idea. Ron gave her a sideways look. "Is that really what you want?"

"Well, no. I'd really like to marry you as soon as possible, obviously, but I'm just trying to be practical."

"It's our wedding. Who needs practical? Let's get married when we want, not when we think we should. Harry and Ginny may be doing the boring thing, but that's no reason why we should have to wait."

She smiled. "When should we do it then?"

"Before the end of the year?"  
>"So, a winter wedding?"<p>

"I suppose."

She was silent for a moment, but then slowly she nodded. "A winter wedding would be perfect."

"That's one decision down. And we've got six months – how hard can it be?"

* * *

><p>Nearly two months later, Hermione was finally able to answer his question with 'very'.<p>

She had no idea how much work was involved in planning a wedding, particularly when you were working a full time job. When they had told their parents, they had been surprised that they were planning to get married so quickly, but promised to help in any way possible. Hermione had also assumed that Ron might be around to help out, since they were both staying at The Burrow until the wedding, after which they would move into their own flat. Very quickly however, she found herself making plans alone.

The situation was not helped by the fact that she felt as if she were organising two weddings. Which, she mused one afternoon, as she browsed a brochure of flowers, was almost the truth.

In all her fantasies about getting married she had never once considered the issue of her blood-status. Which was strange really, given how important it had been in her life over the past few years. But as soon as she had sat down to actually plan the wedding of her dreams, the realities of her situation had suddenly hit her

She was a Muggle-born, which of course meant that all her relatives were Muggles, and none of them, except for her parents, had any idea that the wizarding world even existed. Therefore, inviting them to the traditional wizarding ceremony, which was legally required for their marriage to be officially recognised by the Ministry, was virtually impossible, unless she were to place a memory charm on them all afterwards which would mean they may as well never have been there in the first place.

Holding a Muggle ceremony presented similar problems for Ron's side of the family, not to mention all of the couples' friends. It was impossible to expect the many Weasley relatives to pretend to be Muggles for day without giving anything away. Their friends, of the younger and more tolerant generation, could probably be relied upon, but suggesting to Molly Weasley that any of her children could get married without every single available aunt, uncle and cousin present was a sheer impossibility. And anyway, as far as Hermione was concerned, it wasn't really the point.

She was a witch and she wanted to be married as a witch to a wizard in a wizarding ceremony. It was as simple as that. Or at least it was to her – but somehow their wedding was no longer about her, or Ron for that matter. She was constantly worrying about all the other people she had to please, and it was driving her absolutely crazy.

It was Molly who eventually came up with the solution – or at least a solution that went some way to pleasing everyone. They would have two weddings – a Muggle ceremony in her parents' church, to which all the Muggle relatives, plus selected members of the Weasley family and their wizarding friends would be invited, followed by a wizarding ceremony and reception. The reception would be magical – Hermione was insistent about that.

"And what about when all our friends and family ask us about the reception?" her mother had asked when Hermione had broken this news.

"You tell them there isn't going to be one."

Her mother had actually snorted at this. "No one will believe that – they'll think you just haven't bothered to invite them – this is going to cause so much trouble."

"Just tell them that we haven't got much money and can't afford a reception if we want to have a honeymoon."

"And that will make them think we're poor, or mean, and won't even provide for our own daughter's wedding!"

"For goodness sake, Mum, I don't care! This is _my_wedding and I will do it how I want, and if I want a wizarding reception then I will have one and your friends can just deal with it!"

She had then stormed out of the house and had arrived back at The Burrow in a terrible state. It took the best part of three days for Ron to calm her down enough to return to see her mum, at which point they'd had yet another argument.

"I understand that we can't have everyone at your reception but I know your gran would be so sad to miss it," she had said after they had both apologised for their previous conversation.

"But how could she? She doesn't know anything about me or what I am."

"But she's your grandma. She's family and she should be there."

"Then you're going to have to tell her about me."

"Fine!"

There had been a pause while Hermione attempted to digest what she had just heard. Then finally, she whispered, "What?"

"We'll tell her. You think we're ashamed of you, don't you, and that's why we've never told anyone about you. Don't argue!" she added as Hermione started to interrupt. "You may never have said anything but I could tell. I could see it in your face every time we had to lie – to friends, neighbours, family – especially your grandma, my own mother – about your schooling. You thought we didn't want to tell anyone, but for once you were wrong.

"Your father and I couldn't be prouder of you than we are, and if we had our way, then we'd be shouting about your gifts from the rooftops. But we didn't, because we honestly believed that we couldn't and that we mustn't if we were to protect you. First the school, and then you, rammed the importance of that secrecy statute thing down our throats and we truly believed we would get in to trouble if we told anyone.

"Then as you grew older, it became clear that you were involved in increasingly dangerous situations and you seemed constantly worried about anyone finding out the truth about you. We would never do anything to put you in danger, Hermione, so we continued to keep quiet. I think your grandma guessed that we weren't always honest but as far as we were concerned, we were protecting you."

"Last year, well, we don't need to go through everything again, but clearly things were worse than they'd ever been before. And how could we tell your grandma about you when we couldn't even remember you ourselves?"

Hermione had reddened. Her parents had been understandably displeased with her actions during the war, but she had explained to them how important it had been and how scared she was for them and they claimed to have understood. Unfortunately, it didn't stop them occasionally bringing it up.

"Mum, you _know _why I did that."

"Yes, darling, I do, but I need _you _to know why we kept you such a secret all these years. We thought we were doing what was best just as you did."

Taking a deep breath, she had continued. "But, once we returned from Australia, it became clear that things were different; you were relaxed, happy and you were in love. Finally, it seemed that some of the fear had left you. And so now, I think we're ready to share with your grandma exactly who you are."

There was silence for a moment and then Hermione had leaned over and hugged her mum, allowing her tears to soak into the shoulder of her mother's cardigan.

"Thank you," she had whispered.

Now, three days later, Hermione was reading the flower brochure to pass the time before she and her mum were to go to her gran's house and explain everything to her. Hermione had a nervous fluttery feeling in her stomach and was hoping that some wedding planning would help distract her. Unfortunately however, it was just reminding her of all the stresses of the last few weeks.

Now they had finally decided on the two weddings, she had to make all sorts of decisions about what would be the same and what would be different. Her dress, for example, would be the same as it was a huge expense and there was really very little difference between the dresses worn by Muggle and witch brides, unless of course she had wanted to wear robes. She had considered it, but her dream wedding dress was one part of her wedding she simply couldn't let go.

Flowers on the other hand were a different matter. Hermione had never known much about symbolism but it turned that the wizarding world had completely different meanings and traditions behind their flowers. In order to do things 'right' and not create confusion for either side (though really she wasn't sure how many people would know the exact the meaning behind every colour of every flower), there would be two lots of flowers. Which would be necessary anyway, as both The Burrow and the church would need decorating.

It was tradition to marry at the home of the bride, but Hermione's parents' house was simply not big enough for a wedding and there were no magical settlements nearby which would be suitable, so they had settled on just having the church wedding in her home town.

Hermione glanced at her watch; it was time to go.

She straightened her t-shirt and checked her hair in the mirror before turning on the spot and Apparating to her parents' house, from where she and her parents would travel the short distance to her grandma's.

She wondered how she would react. For so long Hermione had wanted to tell her the truth, but now that she was confronted with it, she wondered if it was a good idea. She had her wand with her, of course, and could easily prove what she was saying was true, but her grandma was an old woman – what if the shock proved too much for her?  
>But her parents thought it was okay, and so she was just going to have to trust them.<p>

None of them said very much in the car – it seemed that they were all having the same quiet nerves. Not once, however, did anyone suggest that they turn back.

Hermione's grandma was expecting them and immediately ushered them in to living room where she offered them tea and cake. Once they were all settled, Hermione looked to her mother, who cleared her throat nervously.

"Um, Mum, we've got something we'd like to tell you… about Hermione."

The elderly lady immediately looked shocked. "You're not pregnant are you, dear? Surely that's not the reason for this wedding? I always thought that young man seemed so responsible."

"He is! And no, it's nothing like that," Hermione interrupted, before her own mother continued.

"Well, we always told you that Hermione went to a boarding school when she was younger, which is true, except we weren't completely honest about where she was going."

"I thought so. You always seemed so nervous when you spoke about it. So, what's the big family secret then?"

"Well, you see, Hermione was actually at a school for…for…specially gifted children. It was a school of magic. I know it sounds ridiculous and believe me, we found it hard enough to believe at first, but she's a witch."

There was silence. And then suddenly, a chuckle escaped the confused woman's lips. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that? It's a rather preposterous story!"

"I can prove it, Gran. Look." Hermione took out her wand and pointed it at the tea service sitting on the small table. Instantly, it vanished. Her grandma shrieked.

"Get it back! That was a wedding present to Albert and me. Get it back now! And then you can explain yourself."

Hermione flicked her wand again and the tea service reappeared, exactly as it had been, with no visible sign of damage at all.

"It's really true, Gran. I am a witch and the school I went to taught me how to use magic and learn more about it. I really wanted to tell you but it was never right, but now I'm getting married and I want you to be there."

"So all that rubbish about not being able to afford a reception – that's really because you want to have a witch wedding?"

"Yes. I want my friends and family from my old life to be there, which is why we're having a service in a church, but afterwards there'll be another celebration, for witches and wizards. Mum and Dad will be there, too, of course, and I really hope you will be. I am so sorry we never told you before, Gran, but I honestly wasn't allowed to."

Her grandmother pursed her lips. "Well, I can't say I'm exactly impressed at having been lied to be my own family, but I know you, Hermione, and I'm sure you'll have had your reasons. Now, this wizard wedding – do I still wear my dress and hat, or will I need something else?"

Hermione laughed with relief. "Anything will be just fine. It's unlikely that everyone will wear robes anyway. Some of our friends are coming to both weddings, so they'll probably stick to Mug- ordinary clothes for the day."

"Excellent! I bought a new hat from John Lewis last week and I did not want it to go to waste. It's not every day your only granddaughter gets married after all."

The rest of the afternoon was spent chatting and drinking tea, and by the time they left that evening, Hermione was feeling much more relaxed than she had that morning.

It didn't last for long, however.

It was Saturday, and Ron had been working a full shift with George at the shop. He arrived back at The Burrow around eight and had obviously had a hard day.

"How was it?" Hermione asked sympathetically, once he had changed and joined her in the sitting room.

"It's the last Saturday before term starts – how do you think it was?" he snapped.

There was silence for a minute, and then he spoke again, the edge gone from his voice.

"Sorry, Hermione, it was just busy. I don't feel I've stopped all day, and then George wanted to discuss some plans for a new shop in Hogsmeade with me and all I wanted was to come home."

"It's been so long since you've had a day off, Ron. It's understandable that you're tired. At least we've got tomorrow together."

"Yeah, about that – " There was a long pause. "I've got to go to the Ministry."

"What! But it's been nearly three weeks since you last had a day when you weren't either with George or at the Ministry. I thought you'd specifically asked for it off."

"I know. I had, but there's an extra training session, and I can't really afford to miss it, not if I want to pass the exams next month."

It was not enough to placate Hermione, however. "I just can't believe you didn't tell me about this before now. You can't have only found about it today. And I'd planned so much for tomorrow. There's still loads to do for the wedding and I really wanted us to do some of it together."

"I'm sorry, Hermione, but I can't miss this. It's too important."

"I'm starting to feel like everything is more important than me and this wedding."

"Oh for Merlin's sake, now you're putting words in to my mouth. What do you want me to say to the Aurors who are coming in on their day off to run this course because they know we need it – _sorry but my girlfriend wants me to look at flowers? _It's not my fault that I can't walk into every exam and get 112 per cent. I actually have to work for this."

"Oh grow up. You're not the only one working for things. I think I've moved on from a First year Charms Exam now. I don't find everything easy, you know. You don't think I still have to prove myself, because of who I am? And I'm working five days a week and still managing to plan this wedding on my own."

"It's a wedding. How hard can it be?" As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Ron knew they had been the wrong thing to say. Hermione's already raised voice reached new levels and she glared at him.

"Well you wouldn't know, would you, Ron? You have no idea how hard it can be to plan a wedding, or what I've had to deal with over the last couple of weeks, because you've not even tried to get involved. I'm starting to wonder whether I can even trust to get involved enough to turn up for the damn thing."

"Stop being stupid. You're blowing everything out of proportion. I'm just not prepared to sacrifice my training for one big party."

"Then why did you bother asking me to marry you in the first place?" Hermione yelled, and stormed out of the room, leaving Ron feeling a little shell-shocked.

"Well, that's just…" he spluttered to the empty room. Not really sure what he was supposed to do now, he decided to turn to the one person he usually turned to when he and Hermione were arguing. Leaving the house as quietly as possible, so as not to get the inevitable third degree from his mother, who had no doubt heard the entire argument, Ron turned and Apparated to Harry's.


	3. A Change of Course

"She's crazy!" Ron was telling Harry less than twenty minutes after leaving The Burrow. "I have no idea what's got into her. I mean, this is _Hermione_we're talking about. When has she ever put anything before an exam? She used to be the one making study timetables and revision guides. And now suddenly, I'm the one who needs to study and she can't handle it. I know the wedding is important, but I can't help it that I can't just drop everything whenever there's a crisis with the flowers or photographer. It's like she's become a completely different person, all because of this wedding!"

Harry just nodded sympathetically as Ron ranted. He had been enjoying a reasonably quiet evening with Ginny at the flat he rented when Ron had turned up, fuming. Ginny had taken one look at him, and excused herself, no doubt returning to The Burrow to comfort Hermione.

"Maybe she's just a bit wound up about things. I heard work isn't going very well for her," he offered, when Ron paused in his rant.

"What? How did you hear that? She hasn't said anything to me."

"She probably just doesn't want to worry you."

"Why, what's going on? Seriously, Harry, if she's in trouble you need to tell me."

Harry seemed to be doing his best not to look at him and he rushed his next sentence without pausing for Ron's reaction, knowing exactly what it would be. "Oh it's nothing serious, not like that, but I've been hearing things - people telling me she's not having a particularly easy time of it. The man in charge of her office - Harold Longley - is one of the old-school types. Not a Voldemort supporter or anything like that, but definitely someone who believes in a certain about of respect for blood purity. He thinks Hermione only got her job because of her connections."

"What!" Ron's face was bright red. "How dare he? Hermione was the brightest witch in our class. She could have had any job she wanted with grades like hers, best friend of the chosen one or not. What's he been doing to her?"

"Nothing obvious, I don't think, but I don't think she's getting the kind of work she was hoping for. She's been talking to Ginny about it mostly - he's not openly discriminating but he's made it quite clear she won't be moving up in the department anytime soon. He's giving her mountains of work - more than any normal person could handle, and of course being Hermione, she's been killing herself to get it done. And then all the problems with her family and the wedding - I think it's probably just been a bit much for her." Harry trailed off at the end, not wanting to upset Ron anymore, but knowing that he needed to be told the truth.

"How the hell is this prat Longley able to get away with this? I thought the whole point of changing the Ministry was to get rid of bastards like him."

"Like I said - officially, he's not doing anything wrong, but I've heard from a couple of people that he doesn't treat her the same as everyone else."

"Yeah well, I'll be paying him a visit on Monday, and then we'll see what he thinks." Ron had a fierce looking on his face and had subconsciously started balling his hand into a fist on his lap.

Worried he might not be prepared to wait until Monday, Harry put out a hand to stop Ron from standing. "No! Come on, Ron, do you really think that's what she wants? You marching in there causing a fuss - if anything that would just make things worse."

"Well I don't bloody know, do I? How am I supposed to tell what it is she wants when she doesn't talk to me? I try, Harry, I really do. But the training is intense, and George needs me - he still does, even though he tries to pretend he doesn't - and then when I get home it seems like the only thing we talk about is the wedding, and all the problems it's brought."

He sank back into his chair, a worn look on his face. "I don't know, Harry. I'm starting to think you and Ginny had the right idea."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, looking panic-stricken.

"I mean maybe this is too soon. Maybe we shouldn't have rushed into a wedding like this. There's so much going on. I hardly feel like I know her anymore. I'm not…I'm not sure this is a good idea anymore."

There was complete silence in the room. Harry just stared his at his best friend, completely shocked. He had never seen him like this before. So tired, and so hopeless. It was almost like he had another Horcrux round his neck, except this wasn't one he could take off as easily as the locket.

"What am I going to do, Harry?" he croaked.

"I don't know, mate. But you love her, don't you?"

Ron looked surprised at the question. "Of course I do! She's Hermione. She's clever, she's pretty - she's brilliant. And I want to marry her, I do. But I don't want it to be like this. It shouldn't be like this. We should be happy, not yelling at each other. I should be the one she tells about the crap happening at work, not Ginny."

"Well you need to tell her that. There's no point sitting here talking to me. I know less about this stuff than you do."

"Yeah I guess. I'm not good at this stuff, Harry. I'll probably screw it up and she'll end up hating me even more."

"She definitely doesn't hate you. Just go and talk to her. You're Ron and Hermione. I've seen the two of you have more arguments than anyone I know."

Ron stood and sighed. "I'm not sure it's going to be as easy this time. But I'd better go and try."

Harry stood and gave him an awkward half-hug. "I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"

"Suppose. I can't really miss the training, can I?"

"Well, good luck." Harry saw him to the door of the flat, and, as soon as he was outside the wards, Ron turned and Apparated back home.

He landed in the back garden, and quickly headed for the kitchen door. Ginny and his mum were sitting at the table, drinking tea.

"Where's Hermione?" he asked, looking around, as if she might be hiding somewhere.

"She's not here," replied Ginny, not looking at him. "She left this." She handed him a folded piece of parchment.

His hands shaking, he opened it.

_Ron, ___

_I've gone to my parents' for a few days. I need a break from all of this - it's all becoming too much. Please don't try and contact me - I'll be in touch when I'm ready.___

_I love you.___

_Hermione._

Ron's hands were shaking. "She's gone," he whispered, not sure whether he was telling himself or the others. Until he heard the words out loud, he wasn't sure whether he really believed it. He had been so sure she would be here, waiting to talk things through with him, ready for him to apologise for being such a complete jerk. But she hadn't even wanted to talk. She had just gone.

Unable to look at either Molly or Ginny, for fear that he might burst into tears if they showed even the slightest amount of sympathy, he strode from the kitchen and up to his bedroom, where he changed and got into bed, barely aware of his actions. He felt numb.

At least in his bedroom, there were no reminders - Molly Weasley may have just about accepted Ginny leaving to move in with Harry, but there was no way she was going to let Ron and Hermione share a bed while they lived under her roof, and so Hermione slept in Ginny's old room. Still, he lay awake for hours, thinking, running back through every conversation they had had in the last few weeks, desperately trying to find the signs that she had been unhappy or trying to tell him something. Yes, she had been tired recently, but so had he, and he thought it was just a hazard of the job. The second year of Auror training was significantly tougher than the first, and he had been so wrapped up in everything that he hadn't noticed anything else. And that was obviously the problem. How could he have been so blind to her unhappiness? He had promised that he would always be there for her, that he would look after her. They weren't even married yet and he had already failed her.

Eventually, in the early hours of the morning, he fell asleep, but he had a restless night, haunted by strange dreams, and when his alarm went off at seven the next morning, he woke with a terrible aching feel of dread in his stomach, as if something awful had happened. And for a split second he forgot that something awful had happened, that Hermione had left him and that he had no idea whether they still had a relationship, let alone a wedding.

In spite of feeling like he might throw up at any moment, Ron forced himself to get out of bed. He had to be at the Ministry for nine, or he would miss the training. At least while he was there, he wouldn't have to think about anything other than what he was doing. It was a practical session and would require intense levels of concentration and effort. There wasn't any room for personal distractions when you were an Auror.

He was also comforted by knowing that he couldn't run into Hermione either. They didn't see each other very often at work anyway, but occasionally, when their schedules coincided, they would eat lunch together or he would sometimes bump into her in the lifts or hallways. But today was a Sunday and she wouldn't be there.

He couldn't believe that only twenty-four hours ago, everything had been fine (or at least, he had thought everything was fine). As far as he was concerned, he would be getting married to his fiancée in a matter of weeks and everything was on track. But now, here he was, relieved that he would even be able to avoid bumping into her in the hallways.

His mum was already up when he got downstairs and he wondered if she had had trouble sleeping as well. She made him some breakfast and they spoke about mundane things, sticking to the topics that were safe, neither one wanting to confront the Hippogryff in the room. However, just as he was getting ready to leave, she took his hand and said, "It'll be all right Ron. You and Hermione are stronger than that, but she's been going through some tough times recently and it's probably good for her to get away from this for a while."

She paused for a minute and gave him a quick hug. "Your father and I nearly broke up for a while, you know," she continued. "We had just finished Hogwarts and everything was suddenly so big and so terrifying that we didn't really know how to handle it. But we worked it out in the end. And you will too, because you love each other.

"Now," she suddenly returned to her usual bustling self, "you'd better get going or you'll be late. We're having the roast this evening so you and Harry don't have to miss it. Have a good day, dear."

She pecked him on the cheek and he hurried from the house to Apparate to the Ministry.

The day passed in something of a blur, and honestly Ron wasn't sure what he was there for. He did his best to keep his mind on the job but he couldn't really care less, and was caught out more than once in simple defensive exercises.

"Weasley!" the senior Auror, Jones, barked as he was disarmed by Neville for the third time. "Get your head back from wherever it's gone to and concentrate. You're no use in the programme if you can't focus."

"Yes, sir," Ron instantly chimed back, doing his best to put his mind on the exercise once again.

By the end of the day he was aching from all the attacks he had fallen victim of. He groaned as he replaced his wand in his robes and headed for the lifts.

"Ron!" Harry called out from down the hall, jogging to catch up. "Ginny told me - are you okay?"

"Not really, judging by how well things went in there."

"I'm sorry." Harry looked genuinely worried. "I'd say we should go out for a drink, but your mum's doing a roast tonight and Ginny and I promised we'd be there so I'd better get home and shower. See you later, though, right?"

"Yeah, I'll be there."

Molly Weasley was already well underway with the preparations when Ron got home. The potatoes were peeled and three large chickens we roasting in the oven.

"Hi, Mum," he greeted as he walked in. "That smells good."

She smiled at him. "How was your day? Did you see Harry?"

"Yes, they'll be round soon. Did anything come for me while I was out?"

He tried to make the question sound casual, but it was obvious what he wanted to know. He was hoping that Hermione had written to him, that she had realised that it was all a misunderstanding and was coming home.

"Oh well, actually, you did get a letter, and I hope you don't mind but I opened it, because it was addressed to you and Hermione and I was worried it might be something to do with the wed- well something important anyway, and the owl was quite persistent so I thought it better be opened immediately. And well, it was from the letting agent in Diagon Alley. Apparently you were supposed to go and view some flats today, and they were wondering where you were. So I wrote back and said you were going to have to cancel, and I really hope that's okay with you."

_Of course._ That was why Hermione had wanted him to have the day off. They were supposed to be looking at places for them to live once they were married. And the letting agent had agreed to open for them on Sunday so they could look on the one day-off they would both have. He had completely forgotten. Hermione was right about him; he was useless and selfish, and he didn't deserve her.

"Ron? Ron, are you okay? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interfere, but I thought you probably wouldn't be going and I didn't want them to be kept waiting, or they might not have agreed to see you again."

He waved his hand, "Yes, Mum it's fine. Um, listen, I'm just going to pop out."

"But you only just got home!"

"Yes, I know, and I'll be back for dinner, but I've got someone I want to see."

She hesitated. "Ron, don't go and see Hermione. It's too soon."

"I wasn't planning to," he replied quickly. "She asked me to wait, so I will." And with that he turned and Apparated, not to Hermione's parents, but to the familiar shop in Diagon Alley, where he knew George would be.

"Little brother!" George exclaimed as he opened the door. "You just can't keep away can you? I'm supposed to be coming over for dinner tonight."

"I know, and I promised Mum we'd be there, but I just wanted to talk to you first."

"Sounds serious. You'd better come in then. You want a beer?"

Ron accepted the drink and the two of them sat in the living room, nursing their bottles in silence until eventually George asked, "So, what is it you want to talk about then?"

That was all Ron needed. He started talking and he couldn't stop. He told George everything - from beginning to end. He knew that of everyone, George was the one who could understand. He wasn't like Harry, who had equal loyalty to both Ron and Hermione - George would be completely there for him.

Sure enough, when he'd finished, George let out a low whistle. "Wow, little brother, you've really messed things up this time."

"Yeah thanks for that. I had noticed."

"So what are you going to do now? Are you going to talk to her?"

"I don't know. She asked me not to contact her. I've kind of got to respect that, though maybe that's the wrong thing to do - maybe she's trying to work out how much I want to see her. I just have no idea."

"And what about the wedding - do you want to get married?"

Here, Ron paused. "I don't know," he admitted finally. "I know that I can't stand the thought of not being with her, and that I'm sure I want to be married someday. It's just that suddenly, it seems too soon, and I feel like we rushed so fast into marriage that I didn't even stop to think about what it really meant. Besides, I'm not really sure it's my choice anymore."

"When did you become so deep, Ron?" George asked, a small grin on his face. "Surely, it's all about whether you love her - all the other crap about it being too soon is just your head messing with you. We both know life's too short not to just follow your heart." He glanced over at a photo of him and his twin, and a sad look passed over his face. "Fred was always better with the girl stuff. He'd have known what to tell you."

Ron snorted. "Yeah right. I miss him and all, but you were both as bad as each other. He's the last person I'd have taken girl advice from."

"Oi! We gave you the book, didn't we? And didn't that help you out?"

"Fat lot of use it is now, though. Shockingly there isn't a chapter on 'how to stop your witch leaving you a few weeks before your wedding'."

"Well then you're just going to have to wing it, aren't you. Come on, we'd better go, or Mum will go spare."

Sunday dinners at The Burrow had become something of a tradition. They didn't have them every week, but at least every three weeks or so, they would all gather and indulge in some of Molly's cooking. Usually, they were a lot of fun and talk would inevitably turn to reminiscing about their childhoods or the many incidents at Hogwarts.

Hardly surprisingly, however, Ron did not really enjoy that evening. Hermione's absence left a gaping hole round the table, and though everyone was careful not to mention it (Bill, Fleur and Percy all having received instructions from Molly before Ron and George arrived), it was obvious that it was felt by them all.

Once again, Ron slept badly, tossing and turning, his dreams interrupted by visions of Hermione, always with her back to him, her voice echoing through his head, telling him how much she had let him down.

When he woke the next morning, he was certain of one thing. He had to talk to Hermione. It may only have been a day, but he couldn't stand the silence. She had to know how he felt, and he needed to know whether there was still anything to fight for.


	4. Awkward Conversations

Talking to Hermione did not prove as easy as Ron had hoped when he made his decision. For one thing, she had asked him not to contact her, and ignoring her one request was probably not the best way to start off repairing their relationship. He thought about going to see her at work, but realised that probably counted as breaking the rules as well, and he did not want her to be angry with him before he'd even had a chance to speak. His only option was to wait and hope that he bumped into her at some point, though past experience told him that was unlikely. Fortunately, he did know when she usually took her lunch and therefore hoped he would be able to increase his chances of a spontaneous meeting.

Monday and Tuesday passed without any opportunities. He was out on field work and only stopped into the office for half an hour at the beginning and end of each day for briefings. At work he did his best to keep his mind on the job. He knew that any lapse in concentration could seriously cost him and having messed everything else up, he couldn't let his job go down the same route. Each evening though, he would get home and find himself glancing up at the sky every five minutes, hoping for an owl from Hermione. But it seemed as if whatever it was she needed to think about was going to take her some time.

On Wednesday, Harry almost had to physically restrain him from going Hermione's department.

"I just need to see her," Ron argued as he tried to push past Harry's outstretched arm.

"She won't thank you for it. And of all the places to have this conversation, do you think that work is the best one?"

"Well where else am I supposed to do it? I can't go round to her parents', she hasn't been in touch with me. I don't want to wait anymore!"

"Well you're going to have to."

"I could at least go by her office and pretend I need to speak to that Longley guy."

"Don't even think about it. She doesn't want to talk to you, and she definitely doesn't want you talking to her boss."

"You've seen her then?" Ron had stopped trying to get past Harry and was staring at him, waiting for an answer.

"Yes. She was round at ours last night. I'm sorry, Ron, but she's my friend too, and Ginny's friend, and you know I can't take sides between the two of you."

"I know. I just thought you might have mentioned you'd seen her."

"I didn't think it would do you any good."

"How was she?" Ron wasn't really sure what answer he wanted to hear to this - obviously he didn't want her to be unhappy, but if she was perfectly fine while he was going through hell missing her, then he wouldn't know what to think.

"I don't want to talk about it, Ron. I'm not being the person in the middle again."

"But you definitely don't think she wants to see me?"

"I…I don't know. I think she does want to see you, but I think she's worried about what she'll say when she does. I'm not sure she knows what she wants yet, and until then, you're better off leaving her to it."

It took Ron a moment to digest this news. "I can't just let her leave me," he said at last, complete dejection in his voice. "What do I do if she decides she's better off without me?"

Harry was spared from thinking of an answer by the gruff voice of Jones shouting across the room. "Potter, Weasley, will you be joining us today? We were due to start five minutes ago."

"Sorry, Sir," Harry replied. "Come on," he then muttered to Ron. "You'll have to deal with this later."

That evening, Ron was due to be working in the shop. Exhausted from his week, he excused himself to the back office for most of it and worked on some of the backlogged paperwork. George closed at seven anyway, and then they spent an hour tidying and restocking, as well as chatting about some of George's latest ideas.

"Coming up for a drink?" George asked when they were done.

"Better not. Not been sleeping too well and got work again tomorrow. I'll be in again afterwards though."

"See you then, little brother." George gave him a wave as Ron let himself out. They had gone through the whole evening managing to avoid talking about Hermione, and he was grateful for it. He needed the distraction.

Another evening passed with no letters, and before he knew it, he was back at the Ministry. He began to wonder if the rest of his life was just going to pass in the same way - from The Burrow to the Ministry to the shop. He began to realise how little time he'd spent with Hermione since they got engaged. The ache of missing her was almost unbearable.

"Ron, Harry, are you coming to the meeting?" Neville interrupted his thoughts early on Thursday afternoon. "You probably don't want to be late after yesterday."

"You're probably right," Ron replied gloomily. "Do you know what this one's about?"

"Not a clue. Probably some more paperwork procedure that we desperately need to learn."

The three boys headed to the large meeting room at the end of the corridor. To their surprise only about half their course-mates were in there. Usually these meetings were completely full.

"Right," started Jones, once everyone was seated. "We've got something quite important to talk to you about.

"As you know, the Auror training programme is an eighteen month intensive course, culminating in a week of final exams before you become officially qualified. It is very unusual for there to be any exceptions to this.

"However, after conversations with the Minister and other department heads, we feel that some of you have a certain level of practical experience in the field that should contribute towards your training. Those of you in this room are the people that we think have demonstrated the necessary skills to be put on an accelerated programme.

"We are therefore offering you the opportunity to bypass the final six months of the programme and sit your final exams in four weeks' time. This opportunity is not being offered to everyone - only those who we think are really ready, and you are able to decline the offer and complete the training alongside everyone else if you prefer.

"Don't underestimate how hard this will be. The exams you sit will be just as tough as if you waited another six months. We're not giving you an easy ride - you are expected to be the best of the best. I expect an answer by five o'clock tomorrow afternoon. If you choose to accept, then you will be put on a specialised revision and practice timetable for the next four weeks."

He stopped talking and it was clear that they were dismissed. Just as they stood to leave, Jones called out, "Weasley, my office - five minutes."

Harry glanced at Ron. "What's that about?"

"No idea. Probably made a mistake in the case reports we did yesterday. No doubt I'll get a good talking to about the necessity of following good procedure." Harry snorted. Life in the Auror office seemed to involve far more paperwork and bureaucracy than any of them had anticipated.

"So," said Neville catching up with, "what do you think? Are you going to go for it?"

"I think so," replied Harry. "It'd be good to actually be qualified and not have any more exams to worry about."

"Yeah, I mean, if they've picked us they must think we'd be all right, so I'll probably give it a go."

"I'm not sure yet," Ron said, "It depends on George, and Hermione." He stumbled over his fiancée's name and tried not to let his sudden awkwardness show. "It's going to be a lot to deal with over the next four weeks. And I'd better get going, or Jones will kill me."

He quickened his pace and headed for his boss's office.

"You'd better take a seat, Weasley," the Auror said when he entered.

"Now, I think you should know that your place on the accelerated programme was not supported by everyone. The Minister was quite insistent that you should be given a chance, but quite frankly, your behaviour over the last week has not been what been what we expect from an Auror four weeks away from qualifying."

"I'm sorry, Sir, it's just that-"

"I don't want to hear it. I'm not interested in what's going on in your private life, Weasley, though it's bloody obvious that something is. Part of being an Auror is that you put everything but the job out of your mind as soon as you step in the office. This is the kind of job that can get you killed, Weasley. You can't afford to give it only half your attention. So this is your only warning - pull yourself together, and deal with whatever it is that's distracting you. I'm expecting an answer from you tomorrow, and I want you to be sure you're committed when you give it."

"Yes, Sir, sorry, Sir." Ron stood and headed back to his cubicle. His head was swimming. How was he supposed to know what to do for the best? If he did the exams, he'd have to stop working in the shop, but then he'd be letting George down. And the sooner he qualified, the more time afterwards he'd have to spend with Hermione, but if he had to spend the next four weeks doing nothing but revision, how was he ever going to convince her that they should give it another go?

"You all right?" Harry asked when he got back to his cubicle. "You look as white as a sheet."

"Yeah, fine," he mumbled, not really ready to talk to Harry about the worries swirling through his mind.

Harry looked worried but didn't push the matter any further. For the rest of the afternoon, Ron did his best to block out everything and just focus on his work, but he was still a nervous wreck by the time he arrived at the shop.

"Blimey, Ron, what's wrong?" asked George as soon as he saw him

"Nothing, I'm fine. Long day, that's all. I'll keep going with the books if that's all right?"

"No arguments from me."

Shortly after the shop had closed for the evening, George called him through from the front. "Ron, can you come out here for a minute?"

Sighing, Ron heaved himself to his feet, though his body was begging to just be allowed to relax for a bit. "What's up?"

"I need to talk to you about something. Let's go upstairs."

Ron glanced at his watch. "Honestly, I can't stay too late tonight. I've got some work to do at home."

"This won't take long."

They settled themselves in the living room and George cleared his throat. "I've decide to hire a new member of staff, to look after the admin side of stuff. It's not my strength. It wasn't Fred's either but we used to do all right. I've realised now though that I need to concentrate on the products and pay someone else for the rest of it. We're doing well enough to afford it."

"I thought that's the stuff I had been doing? I know I've not been able to give as many hours recently but I can definitely do a bit more. There's always weekends to catch up." Ron couldn't help but feel a bit hurt that George was saying he wasn't do enough to help when he'd been virtually killing himself to be there as often as he could.

"I know, but that's part of the point, Ron. I think it's time you stepped back." He held up his hand to stop Ron's retort. "It's not that I don't want you here. Merlin knows you pretty much saved this business a year ago, but you can't keep it up. It's too much for you, Ron. I should have done this months ago, but honestly, I like having you here. It took what happened with Hermione to make me realise that I was being selfish keeping you here. I felt like such a git when I realised what I'd been doing. So I'm hiring someone, and freeing you to do what you need to."

Ron didn't know what to say. It was good of course, and in a way George was making his decision for him, but he wasn't so sure that it was what he wanted.

"And that's not all," George carried on. "I've decided that I don't want to keep Fred's half of the business. The shops is called Weasleys, and I want to keep it that way. So I'm splitting it. Twenty per cent to you, twenty per cent to Mum and Dad - they're not interested in the business side of things but I want them to benefit from the money - and then two a half per cent each to the others.

"I want you to have this. I've spoken to everyone else and they all agree that you deserve the bigger share. You did all the work in here when I couldn't and I know Fred would want you to be a part of business. I keep my own half but the rest of you have a small part of it. I offered more some to Harry, of course, but he's a git and wouldn't take it. So what do you say?"

"I…I…I don't know really. Thanks, I guess."

"Way to sound grateful, Ron!"

"Sorry, I really am sorry. I just don't want to let you down."

"Quit with the mushy stuff, Weasley. I've said all the moving stuff I'm going to say. The fact is, you need to move on and get out of my shop. And you need to work things out with Hermione, which you can't do sitting in my back office. Now unless I'm imagining things, you told me you had stuff to do tonight, so there's no point in hanging round here anymore. I'll see you on Sunday for lunch probably. Tell Mum, would you?"

Ron stood up, feeling completely numb. Just as he turned to leave, George spoke again.

"Oh and one more thing." He held out his hand. "We've got a deal now, so we'd better shake on it."

Ron took his hand and gripped it firmly. "Thank you, George. Really, thank you."

"Forget about it. I'm having contracts drawn up in the next week or so for everyone to sign but other than that there's not much to it. But don't forget what I said, about Hermione. Don't let her go - you're too good for each other."

Ron smiled weakly at him. "I'll do my best.

He spent the evening looking through his training notes, trying to work out if he could possibly complete the course in four weeks. He wanted to, of course, but Jones' words were still ringing in his ears and he wasn't sure if he was really capable.

When he went to bed that night, he still hadn't made a decision. He would just have to hope that by the time he got to work the next day, he would know what it was he wanted to do.

The next morning, the office was buzzing with the news of the accelerated training programme. It seemed like almost everyone who had been offered it would take the opportunity, though Ron still had his doubts.

He took his lunch alone that day, needing some time to work through his thoughts. However, when he reached the staff dining room he was surprised to see Hermione sitting alone at one of the tables, eating a sandwich while skimming a long document. For the first time all week, he had actually managed to put her out of his mind but then suddenly, here she was, and he had no idea what he was going to do.

Just as he was about to turn and leave, she looked up and saw him. She gave him a half smile and it was all the prompting he needed. He grabbed a sandwich from the fridge and went over to join her.

"Do you mind?" he asked, his heart thumping wildly. He had never felt quite so nervous about talking to her before.

"No, not at all," she replied, closing the document she was reading.

"So, how're you?" He knew he was being ridiculously formal, but he didn't really know what else to say. Desperate as he had been to talk to her, he suddenly realised how inappropriate the Ministry dining room was for the purpose.

"I'm okay." She looked tired. "I heard about the accelerated programme. Congratulations - it's a really good opportunity for you."

"I'm not really sure about it. It's going to mean some intense work over the next four weeks, and there's no guarantee I'll actually pass."

"You should still try though. You're just as capable as Harry and Neville and they'll both be doing it."

He smiled at her. She'd always had a way of making him feel better about himself, making him believe that he could do things he hadn't thought possible.

"Do you think maybe we could meet up, to talk?" He garbled the words out in one breath and then sat anxiously waiting for her reply. She didn't speak for a moment and he was terrified that he had pushed things too soon.

"Yes, I think we probably should," she replied eventually. "We have things to sort out."

"Are you free tonight?"

"Yes, that would work. But not at The Burrow. I need to meet somewhere that's a bit less personal."

"Oh um, we could go out for dinner? There's somewhere new on Diagon Alley."

She smiled. "I'll see you there at eight. Oh and Ron, just go for the exams - you'll never know unless you try."

It was just what he needed. As soon as he got back to the office, he marched to Jones' office.

"I'm going to take the exams, Sir, and I'm not going to let you down."

"Good," came the gruff reply. "Now, get out of here, and do some work."

Ron spent the rest of the afternoon analysing his conversation with Hermione, going back over every word and trying to find the hidden meaning. She had agreed to meet, but she had said 'we have things to sort out' - what if she was talking about them breaking up? Or cancelling the wedding? It was too much to think about.

He left the office promptly so he could spend plenty of time getting ready. He found his best robes - the ones he had bought with his first trainee author pay packet - and had a shave. He wasn't going to give her any reason to doubt him.

At five to eight he left the house and headed for the restaurant. Hermione was waiting for him outside. Almost without thinking he leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. He was relieved that she did not immediately recoil from him.

"It's good to see you," he said.

"You too. I mean it. I'm sorry I didn't get in touch sooner, but I-"

He stopped her. "It's okay. I get that you needed time to think."

The restaurant was busy but not packed and they were able to get a table straight away. They sat making small talk for a while, sticking to the safe topics - the menu, the Auror programme, Harry and Ginny - while carefully avoiding talk of the wedding or the argument. Eventually, after they had ordered, Ron cleared his throat.

"We should probably talk about, well, lots of things, I suppose. I need to say sorry, Hermione. I know I was an idiot and I spent too much time at work or in the shop, and that I wasn't concentrating enough on you or the wedding and I'm so sorry that I didn't know what was going on at work and I'm just really sorry, but I love you, Hermione, and I've realised more than ever that I want to marry you. And I'm going to try so hard to change. I'm not working in the shop anymore, and once my exams are done I'll be able to spend more time with you and we can make sure we have the best wedding - the wedding that is right for us."

He hadn't planned to let everything out in one go but once he started he just couldn't stop. When he had finished he just sat, waiting for some sort of response.

"I love you too, Ron, I really do, and I'm sorry too. The wedding, it turned me into a person I didn't like. I know you were doing your best and that of course your exams and George should always be more important than one stupid day."

"But," she bit her lip nervously, "I'm not sure we're ready to get married."

Ron felt as if he had been punched in the stomach. Yes he'd had doubts of his own, but only for one night. He knew with absolute certainty that she was still the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

"I've missed you this week more than I thought was possible. But the thing is, we've never not been together. Even before we were dating we were best friends. This is all we've known since we were elven years old."

Her voice was shaking now, and there were tears glistening in her eyes. Ron wanted to run away, or start shouting at the top of his voice - anything so that he wouldn't have to hear the next words that came out of her mouth.

"I think we should take a break."

And just like that, everything stopped.

"Hermione, no-"

"Listen to me, Ron. We need to be sure. We need to know that this is what we want, that we're not just staying like this because it's easy.

"Mum and Dad want to go back to Australia, not for good, but for a holiday. They managed to get some good deals on a last minute flight. I'm going to go with them. We'll be gone for four weeks. I'm taking the time off work because I need a break from that too. Ever since I started at the Ministry, I don't feel like I've been happy, and I'm going to have to think about whether that's right for me as well.

"I'm not saying we should cancel the wedding - not yet. Even when we get back, there'll still be two months to go. But I do think we need to be apart for a while. And you need to pass your exams."

"Hermione," his voice cracked and he knew that any minute now, he would be crying too, "I love you. The past week, I've not been able to focus on anything. I need you. And so what if we've always been together. That doesn't make it wrong."

"I know, but before we do this, before we make the biggest commitment of our lives, we have to be sure. I promise you, Ron, I promise that I will come back. I don't know what I'll say when I do, but I'm not leaving you, I swear."

At that moment, the food arrived and the tension that had built up around them was lost. They ate in silence, and both declined dessert. After Ron had paid the bill, they stood in the street, both waiting for the other to say something.

"I've got to go," said Hermione at last. "Don't worry about me, Ron. Just focus on your exams. I'll see you soon."

A sudden impulse took over him and he leaned into kiss her, but she stopped him.

"Please don't. Don't make this harder than it already is." And before he could do or say anything else, she was gone.


	5. Four Weeks

The four weeks that Ron and Hermione were apart seemed to pass both excruciatingly slowly and worryingly quickly.

The first big thing that happened for Ron was moving out of The Burrow. He hadn't exactly planned to, but he was beginning to feel a bit stifled by living at home. He loved his parents and having someone cook for him was definitely nice, but if he was going to prove to Hermione that he had changed and made the most of their time apart, then he knew he should start showing a bit of independence. On the first day of their accelerated training, he and Neville had been talking about managing their revision time, and Neville had suggested that since he had a spare room, maybe it made sense for them to try sharing a flat for a while. That way they could revise together and Ron could get used to having a bit more independence.

Neville had moved into his own place several months ago. He hadn't wanted to leave his gran and he was still close by, but had also longed for some independence of his own. He already had a head start on learning how to cook and clean, and between them the two boys seemed to manage all right. Ron had explained his situation with Hermione and they both knew that their living arrangement was only temporary, but it would at least hopefully get them both through the exams.

Not being able to contact her was one of the hardest things Ron had ever experienced. It brought back terrible memories of the time when he had left her and Harry during the Horcrux hunt. He had tried finding out information from Harry and Ginny but they hadn't heard from her either. It seemed like she was serious about having no contact while she was gone. There were times when he just wanted to rush to Australia and bring her back, but everyone had done their best to convince him it was not a good idea.

It helped that the revision schedule was tough. He wasn't sure how he would have coped if he'd still been at the shop as well. But even though it was hard work, for the first time Ron actually began to think he might be able to qualify as an Auror. Keeping Jones' words firmly in his head, he had been more focused on his work than ever before. Knowing that there was no likelihood of contact from Hermione was almost easier than the constant state of wonder that there'd been during the first week of their separation. He knew that if he was going to win her back, he'd have to prove he'd at least tried.

Each day they had eight hours of theoretical and practical revision. The trainers were pushing them harder than ever before, determined that no one would fail the exams. The two boys would get home every night aching from the practice duels and gruelling exercises they had been put through. It was paying off however, and they were finally beginning to feel like they might be almost there, that they were really capable of being real Aurors - of joining the team responsible for tracking down the last of the elusive Death Eaters. 

Hermione, meanwhile, was living a very different kind of life. Having left the stresses of England and the wizarding world behind she found herself relaxing for the first time in months.

It was good to get to properly see the places where her parents had spent their year away. Her last visit there had been taken up by explanations and arguments and when the memory charms had finally been reversed, they had left in quite a hurry. This time she met a lot of their friends too, and adjusted to hearing her parents being called Monica and Wendell. They'd discussed it before they arrived and decided it was for the best if they didn't try and complicate things by trying to come up with an explanation for changing their names. Of course, suddenly introducing a daughter that none of them had known anything about certainly led to a few raised eyebrows, but they were only there for four weeks and they managed to give a few mumbled explanations about school and being difficult to contact.

They were staying a flat that belonged to some friends of her parents, who were on a holiday of their own. It was just north of Sydney, and overlooked the beach. Leaving the early autumn weather of England behind to be greeted by the spring sunshine of Australia was an experience Hermione could happily live through again. Though the locals longed for the peak summer temperatures of thirty degrees, the low twenties were more than enough to have Hermione and her parents out on the beach in their summer clothes, building up a tan.

She would often wake up early and walk along the beach, losing herself in her thoughts, and watching other people. It was here that she found herself, three weeks into the trip, thinking, inevitably, about Ron. It seemed like she could never get away from the thoughts for too long. It would be the stupidest things that prompted it, like now, as she studied the tan on her arms, trying to work out how many more freckles she had since the day before, she suddenly found herself thinking about how badly Ron would cope with the sun. He managed to burn even in the English sun, so goodness knows how he'd deal with Australia. He'd be a tomato by the end of day one. She remembered staying with him one summer, and how, on the one day Molly had forgotten to apply the sun screening charm, the sun had been particularly strong, and he was wincing in pain by lunch time. Luckily there was another charm that could ease the itching, but nothing had removed the bright red rash that adorned his face and arms. She smiled at the memory, thinking how much the others had teased him. Not that they had been much better.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice shouting for her from further down the beach. She turned her head and her smiled widened. The young man walking towards her certainly didn't have any problems coping with the sun. He was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, but the skin that was visible was clearly very tanned. He was definitely used to a bit of Australian sun.

"Rich!" she said as he reached her and pulled her into a hug. "Your mum said you'd gone away for a couple of days."

"Oh we just went up the coast a bit - fancied a bit of surfing but the waves were rubbish, so we gave it up and came home. How're you? You looked a million miles away then."

"I was," she admitted, breaking away from him and looking out towards the sea.

"Anything you want to talk about?"

She sighed. "Yes, no, maybe? Sorry, it was just, well, you know, the usual."

Rich was the son of some friends of her parents. He had come over to introduce himself on the second day of their trip, and had quickly become her favourite thing about Australia. She had to admit it was the looks and surfer guy attitude that had drawn her in at first, but when they actually got to talking, it turned out he was a pretty good listener to, and had a talent for giving brilliant advice. She had explained her work troubles (changing the magical details to Muggle ones of course) and he had helped her realise exactly what it was she wanted. She hadn't opened up about Ron immediately, not really knowing how to bring it up, but that changed on the night of the party her parents had held at the apartment the week before.

_"What are you doing out here in the cold?" Rich asked, coming out onto the balcony to find Hermione standing there, leaning against the railings and gazing out to sea._

_"Just thinking," she replied. "I like looking at the sea. It's so calming. Besides, if you think this is cold, you should come to England some time."_

_"I might just do that," he said with a grin. He came to join her at the rail, and as he put his hand out to grip the top, it brushed against Hermione's and she felt a small shiver race down her spine. Instantly she shook herself, and pulled her hand away. She shouldn't be feeling like this. She had come to Australia for some time alone and some space to think about Ron, not to fall into the arms of another man._

_"You look so serious when you're thinking," Rich commented. "As if the whole world depends on you."_

_"Sometimes, it feels as if it does," she replied. It was true. The responsibility of being the smart friend of Harry Potter had been stifling at times, and it was a pressure that was still there, even if it didn't need to be anymore, but she could hardly explain that to Rich._

_"I would like to come and see you, you know," he said. "But it depends if there'd be any reason for me to."_

_Her heart began to quicken. He wasn't about to take them down this route, surely._

_"What do you mean?" she asked, trying to sound casual. "You'd always be welcome to stay with my parents, of course."_

_"Well that's not really what I mean, not that I don't love your mum and dad. I was thinking more about whether you'd want to see me."_

_He reached out and took her hand, "I don't think I've ever met anyone like you, Hermione, and yet, I feel as if I hardly know you at all, but it doesn't matter."_

_She knew she should say something, anything, to stop him heading down this road, but she had suddenly lost her power of speech._

_"I hate that you're only here for a few weeks, but honestly, I don't really care about that right now." His other hand came up and cupped her chin, pulling her gently towards him and meeting her lips with his._

_It was the romantic first kiss she'd never had with Ron. She could hear the waves lapping at the shore, and the soft patio lights on her parents' balcony bathed them in a warm glow. Everything about it was perfect. Except for the person she was kissing._

_The kiss lasted no more than a couple of seconds before she pulled away, snatching her hand back._

_"I'm sorry," she gasped. "I just can't."_

_"No, I'm sorry." He had a pained look on his face. "I must have read the signals wrong. I thought it was what you wanted too."_

_"I thought maybe I did. But I can't, Rich. I haven't told you everything about the real reason I'm here. I'm engaged, or at least I think I am. It's all so complicated." Without any sort of warning, tears had started flowing down her face. "I'm so sorry, Rich. I should have told you, but I didn't know how, and like I said, it's complicated. I don't even know if there's going to be a wedding and then I just kissed you, and now, I don't know what I'm going to do."_

_She couldn't miss the hurt expression that passed over his face, but almost instantly he rearranged it into one of sympathy._

_"No, I kissed you, Hermione, and you stopped it. You've done nothing wrong. But maybe it'd do you some good to talk about whatever this is."_

And so they had talked, and she had explained her situation with Ron to him, all the while feeling guilty for having misled him and relieved to finally talk about her relationship with someone.

Rich hadn't said much that night, and then the next day she hadn't seen him. She worried that she might have driven him away for good, but then the day after that, he had been there when she took her early morning walk, and his face lit up into its familiar grin, and everything was almost okay again.

It had changed things, of course, but he was still there, and he was still her friend. And even though she knew it must be hurting him, he let her talk about Ron, and he didn't try and interfere or force her into thinking one way or the other. He gave her the space she needed to just talk, and to think.

"There's not long until you leave, now," Rich said, as they watched the morning tide coming in. They were sitting on the sand now, leaning back and enjoying the sun.

"We'll be landing in London a week tomorrow," she said, sadly. "I'm going to miss this place so much. It's been wonderful."

"You can always come back."

"I know. But this trip will always be special."

"Have you made any decisions?" he asked after a brief pause.

She sighed. "Every time I think I know what I want, something makes me doubt myself."

"Can I say something?"

She sat up and looked at him, wondering if he was finally ready to stop listening and give his advice. "Of course."

"You love Ron, it's obvious. And from what you've told me about him, he loves you back. In fact, it sounds like he's crazy for you. If I had a girl like you, I don't think I could have coped with you going half way around the world for a month and leaving me behind, but he's dealt with that, and you said he'd respected you asking him not to contact you or anything like that. So the only thing I would say is that if I were him, and I had done everything you asked, and let you have the time you needed to think things through, and then you came back and told me you still weren't ready, then I'm not sure I could wait anymore. I'm not him, obviously, but telling any guy you don't want to marry him anymore would break his heart."

"It wouldn't be forever, just for now," Hermione argued, playing out the same discussion with Rich that she had been having in her own head for weeks.

"You can't keep asking him to wait, Hermione. I'm sure he'd do it, but it's not fair and it wouldn't be the same. I can't tell you what to do and I sure as hell can't force you into going home and marrying the guy, but from the way you talk about him, I can't see why you wouldn't want to. Do you remember, that night, when I told you how serious you look when you're thinking? I can always tell when it's him you're thinking about, because you stop frowning, and you get that little smile at the corner of your mouth and suddenly you just look so completely happy and relaxed. And anyone who can do that for you must be the right guy."

She didn't reply to that. She knew that everything he said made sense, but still there was a tiny voice somewhere deep down inside of her that was saying that this was marriage they were talking about, and it was so huge a decision that she didn't know how she was ever supposed to know what do.

"I don't know," she said at last with a sigh. "Perhaps I'll know when I see him."

They didn't talk about Ron again. Hermione was certain she had done all the thinking she could do on the matter, and even if her mind was not yet made up, seeing him would hopefully finalise her decision.

The last week of the Grangers' trip passed quickly. Saying goodbye to Rich was the hardest part for Hermione, and he made her promise that she would stay in touch.

"I want to hear about everything," he said, as he hugged her at the airport. "And don't worry about everything - I'm sure it'll all work out for the best."

"Thanks, Rich, I don't know what I'd have done without you," she replied. "You've been a wonderful friend."

She couldn't help but shed a little tear as they waved goodbye and made their way through to the departure lounge. The holiday had been perfect - just what she needed, and even though she had to return to her real life in England, she could have easily stayed in Sydney for a lot longer.

It took them a little over twenty four hours to reach London, and by the time they landed, they were all tired, and ready for a shower and change of clothes. It was mid-morning in England, and passing through the airport seemed to take forever. Eventually, though, they had collected their suitcases and could make their way out to the arrivals hall. Hermione had mentioned her flight times to Harry and Ginny but she hadn't really expected either of them to be able to meet them, so she didn't bother looking out.

"Home sweet, home," her dad said as they exited the baggage claim. "I'll miss the weather but it'll be nice to never have to answer to Wendell again."

Hermione laughed. Her father hated his fake name, and often asked why she hadn't gone for something a little cooler.

"Hermione," her mother said suddenly, "isn't that Ron over there?"

Surprised, Hermione turned her head and sure enough, a few metres away stood Ron, his mouth open, his eyes fixed on her.

It was all she needed. Just as she had said to Rich, halfway around the world, seeing Ron suddenly made the decision easy. 

For Ron, by the day of Hermione's return, it felt as if it had been a year since he last saw her, not just a month. The exams had finished three days before, and the trainees now had a week off the Ministry while they waited for the results. After the stress of the last four weeks, the three days with nothing to do had been agony for Ron. He had hours to go over and over his last meeting with Hermione, and all the weeks that had come before it. Every doubt suddenly came rushing back to him, and he suddenly began to confront the realisation that she might not back with the answer he wanted to hear.

The day before the Grangers' plane was due to land, Ron even found himself back in the shop, not really sure where else to go.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to stay away forever," George said when he saw him. "How's it going?"

Ron just shrugged, not really having the words to answer.

"Hermione back tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

"And have you thought about what you're going to say?"

"Haven't a clue. I'm hoping I'll know when I see her."

"You're going to improvise? Is that the best idea?"

"Honestly? I haven't got a clue, anymore. I'm not sure how it could make things worse."

To his credit, George didn't try and crack a joke, but simply gave Ron a firm pat on the back. "You'll be okay, little brother - I'm sure of it."

That evening, he sat in the flat with Neville, drinking a beer and chatting. They avoided talking about the exams or Hermione and instead chatted about the latest television show they were watching. The flat was a Muggle one and therefore had television, which both Ron and Neville had found they enjoyed watching. They had to be careful not to do too much magic when it was switched on, as the signal had a tendency to go a bit haywire, but otherwise, it worked brilliantly.

"Have you thought about what you'll do when Hermione gets back? I mean with the flat and everything," Neville asked when all other conversation had been exhausted.

"I dunno, really. We weren't ever planning to live together properly until after the wedding, so she might go back to her parents'."

"Well if you wanted, she could come here. I've been thinking of going back to Gran's for a few weeks - she's not well and I'd like to be there. Hermione could stay here. She could have my room if…" He trailed off, suddenly blushing.

"We've shared a bed before, Neville," Ron said, but didn't elaborate any further. "Thanks for the offer though. I'll see what she says. I don't even know that we'll still be together by this time tomorrow."

The thought terrified him.

The four weeks had been good for him - he was able to realise that now. Hermione was right when she said they had needed time apart, and he had benefitted from it, even over such a short period. He had learnt how to cook, do his own washing, and hopefully, he was now a fully-qualified Auror. He had changed as a person too. Yes, he missed Hermione, but it had been good doing things just for him, and to have the chance to spend a bit of time with his friends and his brothers.

Nonetheless, he knew that he wanted to be with her. He was more sure than ever that they hadn't rushed things, and that just because they were young didn't mean they couldn't make this sort of commitment. Yes, marriage was going to be challenging at times, and they both had a long way to go before they would really be grown up, but he felt like they had survived the first test, and the only way to go from now was up.

Of course there was no guarantee that she would feel the same.

Ron had no idea what he was going to say when he saw her. He had managed to wrestle her flight details from Harry and was planning to meet her and her parents when they arrived at the airport. But that was as far as he had got in his plans.

Her flight was due to land at ten am. Knowing absolutely nothing about the way Muggle airports worked, Ron wasn't sure how early he was supposed to get there and planned to arrive at around half nine. Harry had offered to go with him, but he was certain that he needed to be alone the first time he saw her again. The fact that her parents would also be there didn't exactly help matters but there was nothing that could be done about it.

It turned out he was in for a long wait. When he arrived at the airport he was immediately confronted by ten different entrances, all leading to different places.

"Excuse me," he asked a random passer-by, who seemed to be wearing some sort of uniform. "I'm trying to find the flight arriving from Australia?"

"Do you know the terminal?"

"Um, hang on." He dug his fist into his pocket and brought out a crumpled piece of paper. "Terminal three, I think. And she's coming from er, Dubai?"

"Oh yes, she'll be with Emirates then. Follow this walkway down to the end and then look out for signs to terminal three. Shouldn't take more than five minutes to walk down there."

Ron glanced anxiously at his watch.

"What time is she due to land?"

"Ten, I think. I hope I don't miss her. She's not expecting me, you see."

The man chuckled. "Ten? She'll have to go through passport control and wait for her bags. She won't be out until at least eleven."

Ron's face fell. "Eleven?"

"Yes, sorry, takes forever to get anywhere in an airport. I'm sure it'll be a nice surprise for her though, whoever she is. Always nice to have someone waiting for you when you get off a plane."

Cheered by this, Ron thanked the man and started heading in the direction he had pointed.

He was in the terminal and waiting at the arrivals lounge by quarter to ten. Someone else pointed out the screens which gave all the flight details and he was able to find the Grangers' flight and saw that they were due to arrive on time.

With nothing else to do but wait, he sat in one of the uncomfortable chairs and started thinking through what he was going to say. He had thought of nothing else for the last three days but still felt completely clueless. He suddenly felt woefully unprepared. He should have written a speech, or bought flowers, or something, but he had been so sure that he would know exactly what to say when he saw her. He wasn't so sure anymore. What if she came back and wanted to break up with him? Would she stand there and tell him at the airport, or would she wait and break it to him gently, allowing him some hope that everything was still okay?

He followed the progress of the screen as it changed from arriving, to landed, to retrieving baggage. He thought back to what the airport man had told him - collecting baggage was the last stage. Anxious not to miss her, he decided to move closer to the gate.

He had been watching what happened each time a new flight arrived. People would flock to a large set of doors which would then open to reveal the passengers, pushing large trolleys of luggage and with tired, happy expressions on their faces. All around him there were joyous reunions and he heard shrieks of joy as people caught sight of their loved ones.

Not for the first time it occurred to Ron that Hermione might not thank him for coming to the airport, particularly as she hadn't known he'd be there. It was too late for doubts now, however. The first trickle of people from the Dubai flight were starting to come through.

Hermione and her parents were not among the first to come out, and he had to strain his neck to try and find them in the growing crowd, but suddenly he spotted them. She was tanned and looked, if possible, even more beautiful than ever. The worry lines from around her eyes had gone and though she was tired, she was smiling at a joke her father had just told, and seemed more relaxed than Ron could ever remember.

He opened his mouth to call her name but his throat had gone dry, and he could barely utter a sound. A feeling of panic gripped his chest as he watched his moment slipping away from him.

But then, almost as if she knew, she turned her head in his direction and their eyes met. Suddenly the words didn't matter. He didn't need to speak. Letting go of her trolley, she started running towards him, while he weaved his way through the crowds of people to meet her halfway.

They stopped, centimetres apart from each other, and just as he had hoped, he knew exactly what to do. Putting his arms out, he drew her to him and as his lips met hers, he felt as if his heart might explode with excitement. He kissed her hard and passionately, trying to put all the unspoken words and feelings into it and never wanting to let her go again. To his enormous relief and joy, she kissed him back. He could taste the tears that were running down her face and into his mouth but he knew with absolute certainty that these were happy tears.

"I love you, Hermione Granger," he said as he released her at last, "and I'm never letting you go again."

She laughed through her tears and hugged him tightly. "I love you too, Ron Weasley, and in two months' time, I'm going to become your wife, if you'll still have me."

And instantly, everything was right again.


	6. I Do

On the morning of the 28th December, Hermione woke unusually early, and for a bit she lay in bed, keeping her eyes closed and willing herself back to sleep. She was clearly not going to be getting a lie in that morning, however, and after a few minutes she blearily opened her eyes and blinked.

She was not in the bedroom she shared with Ron at his and Neville's apartment, where she had moved to on her return from Australia. She reached her arm out to find Ron, but instead her hand swung over the side of the bed. It was then that she woke up properly. Of course, she was at her parents', in the single bed she had slept in as a child. As soon as that realisation dawned on her, she was hit with another and sat bolt up in bed.

"It's my wedding day," she said to the empty room.

Given that her thoughts for the past week had been occupied by little else, she couldn't believe it had taken her so long to remember that this was actually the day, or that she had even thought for a second about having a lie in.

Her hair appointment was booked for ten, and if she intended to achieve what Ron had dubbed her 'Yule look', she was going to be there for a while. Ginny and Hermione's cousin Sophie, as the only bridesmaids, would be arriving at midday, and they would then have a little over two hours to dress and be ready for the cars to take them to the church in time for the three o'clock service, where hopefully Ron, Harry and everyone else would be waiting for them.

Surprisingly the plans had come together very well over the last two months, though having Ron's input had helped immeasurably, and quitting her job to start working for the Phoenix charity – established by the Ministry after the war to give support to Muggle-borns and others affected by Voldemort's reign – had been one of the best things she had ever done. She did not expect to be with the charity forever, but it was work that she enjoyed and was good at, and it was nice not to have the pressure to be the best for a change. She did not earn a lot, but added to Ron's salary it was enough for them to live on.

Ron had, of course, passed his exams and in addition to that achievement, he had actually come top of the trainees followed closed by Harry and Neville. Hermione had attended the ceremony when they had been officially declared Aurors and it was fair to say it was the proudest she had ever been.

His working hours hadn't improved now he was fully trained, but he made more effort to be at home, and without the added burden of the shop, they were able to spend more time with each other than earlier in the year. Living alone together helped as well, and having the apartment had taken another worry off their list. Neville had insisted that he was happy for the couple to have it permanently, and that he had realised that now exams were over, he wanted to be back with his nan anyway, especially while her health was not great. At some point, they hoped to buy a place of their own, but it would be a while before they were in a position to do so, and the apartment suited them perfectly. 

"Hermione, are you up?" her mother called up the stairs. "I've got some breakfast down here for you."

Instantly, Hermione's stomach started doing somersaults and she wondered how she was ever supposed to eat anything that day. She quickly dressed in leggings and a button-up dress, which would be easy to take off later on, after her hair was done. On her way down to the kitchen, she slipped into the study and switched on her dad's computer, in order to check her emails, though there were only a handful of people who actually knew how to contact her by email. Sure enough, however, when the screen burst into life, there was a new message from one of those people.

_Hermione, _

_Congratulations on your big day. I'm sorry I couldn't be there but I'm sure it'll go perfectly. Good luck with everything, and I'm so glad you made the right choices for you. I'm hoping to come to England for a holiday next year so hopefully I'll be able to meet your husband while I'm there._

_Rich._

She stared at the screen for a minute, a small smile playing on her face, before reaching out to turn off the screen. She was glad to have heard from him, even if she was certain that her feelings towards him were just of friendship.

Telling Ron about Rich had not been easy. She had known she had to though. If they were going to make it work, especially when things were so rocky, she couldn't possibly keep it from him. He had reacted better than she had expected, and better than he perhaps might have done a few weeks earlier, though he had hardly been overjoyed. He definitely didn't love that Hermione had insisted on keeping in touch with him, and there had been a heated argument about it, with the words 'Victor Krum' and 'Lavender Brown' used as justification on both sides. The argument did not bother her though. It felt as if they were returning to normal, where they could talk (or occasionally shout) through their issues rather than the strange silence that had taken over in the weeks leading up to her trip. At the end of the day, she knew she loved Ron, and she had done her best to make sure he knew it too. She knew that she could give up Rich if it came down to it, but Ron had reluctantly accepted that having a male penfriend didn't have to mean anything (especially given that said friend was halfway around the world and not really in a position to try anything).

In the kitchen, her mum had gone overboard on the breakfast preparations, and Hermione instantly felt guilty about her lack of appetite.

"It looks great, Mum," she said honestly as she sat at the table. "But I'm not really that hungry."

"Oh I wasn't really expecting you to be, but you've got to at least eat something, so I thought I'd made a little bit of everything and you could see what you fancied. You'll be fainting by the time you reach the church if you don't have something now."

Surprisingly, once she actually started eating, she was hungrier than she thought, and she made her way through cereal and two croissants before deciding she'd had enough.

"I wonder how things are going at The Burrow," she said anxiously as she looked out the window. "At least it's not raining."

"I'm sure they're absolutely fine, dear. Molly Weasley strikes me as the kind of person who could organise anything. Besides, you were only there yesterday, and almost all the set-up was finished. I'm sure you can trust them to finish the rest. Now, put your coat on and I'll run you to the salon."

Ten minutes later, they pulled up outside the hairdressers. "The flowers should arrive while I'm gone," Hermione said before she climbed out of the car. "The florist said they should keep okay, but you will just check that they look right, won't you?"

Her mother laughed. "Hermione, we've already had this conversation, and yes, I'll make sure they've sent the right thing. Now good luck in there, and I'll be back to pick you up when you're done."

The hairdresser was not Hermione's favourite place to be, but it was nice to watch her frizz being transformed into something far more sleek and manageable.

An hour and a half later her hair had been washed, trimmed, smoothed, straightened and put up in to an elegant knot at the back of her head.

"There," said the hairdresser as she sprayed what seemed like an entire can of hairspray on to Hermione's head. "That should hold it steady. And you know how to attach the veil, right?"

Hermione nodded. "It's lovely. Thank you so much!"

The cut had been paid for in advance, when they had come for the practice session a week earlier, and so Hermione just had to wait for her mum to arrive. She glanced anxiously at the clock. So far they were making excellent time but she couldn't help but think about all the things that could still go wrong.

"You look wonderful," her mum said as she climbed into the car. "They did such a good job."

"Is everything okay? Did the flowers arrive?"

Jean laughed. "Yes, and they're just what you ordered, and Molly came through the fire and said it was all looking good on their end too. All we have to worry about now is getting you dressed and to the church."

She insisted that Hermione eat a little more food when she got home, even though the butterflies had now reached ridiculous levels in her stomach. Ginny and Sophie arrived exactly on time, both of them with loose hair done in gentle waves.

The next two hours passed in a flurry of dresses and make-up. There were one or two minor crises such as the shriek of horror when Ginny dropped her mascara brush and it landed on the skirt of her deep red bridesmaid dress, leaving a black stain, but Jean Granger was on hand to keep everyone calm, and seemed to be ready with a solution for every problem.

At half-past two, Hermione was finally ready. The others had headed downstairs to wait for the cars, but she paused for a minute and stood staring at herself in the full-length mirror. She was not someone who could be called 'pretty' very often, but on this occasion she had surpassed even her 'Yule look.' 

The ivory dress fitted perfectly. She ran her hands down her skirt to smooth it, and turned to look at the train behind her, which was by far her favourite part of the dress. It had been stitched with hundreds of tiny pearl beads, which formed a delicate pattern that caught the light as she walked. In the evening, the train could be adjusted so that most of it tucked under the dress, leaving just a little of the detail on show, and allowing her to dance without too much trouble. The beading continued up the skirt and on to the bodice. The dress was completed by short sleeves, and a matching ivory cape covered her shoulders, in order to keep her from freezing in the car.

It was everything she had wanted. She was not someone who had spent her life caring about exactly what she wore or how she looked, but on this day she wanted it to be right. She wanted to feel beautiful.

Right on time, the doorbell rang. "Hermione, the cars are here," her mother called up the stairs.

After one last minute to take in every detail, and then to adjust the veil in her hair, which was still holding, Hermione turned to leave her childhood bedroom for the last time as a Granger. 

At the foot of the stairs the photographer was waiting. She was a witch, of course, so that she could stay with them for the whole day, and so that they could have moving pictures developed. Her name was Ruby and she had arrived while they were still getting ready so she could take some photos of the preparations. Hermione paused at the top of the stairs for another shot and then continued down.

Sophie and Ginny were waiting in the kitchen, holding their bouquets. Her mother was adjusting her hat, and tucking a few tissues into her clutch bag. Hermione thought she could see some tears shining behind her eyes already.

"The girls and I had better be going," she said. "We need to arrive a few minutes before you do, so at least they know you're on your way."

Hermione picked her own bouquet of red and white roses, which also contained beads matching those on her dress, and took a deep breath. "I'll see you there then."

Her mother gave her a quick kiss and the three of them left the house, leaving Hermione waiting for her father.

"Are you ready, dear?" he asked, coming in from the living room. He had largely stayed out of the way of the dressing proceedings and now as he came into the room, his face changed at the sight of her. "You look really beautiful. Honestly, a father both dreads and dreams of this day, but I can tell just from looking at you, and how happy you are, that this is the right thing for you."

"Thanks, Dad." It took everything to stop tears from escaping from her own eyes. She picked up the last rose from the table and threaded it through his buttonhole. "I think we're ready to go."

Along with Ruby, who continued to take photos, they made their way to car and within minutes were heading for the church, not too far from her parents' house. She could hear the bells ringing from two streets away and felt a ripple of excitement, knowing they rang for her. When the church came into sight, she saw the other car already there, and Ginny and Sophie standing at the door of the church waiting for her.

"Ready?" her father asked as they pulled in to the drive.

She barely paused before replying, "Ready."

The driver opened the door for them, and first Hermione, then her father exited the car. They paused at the door while Ginny straightened her dress and lifted the veil carefully over her face, then the nod was given, and the organ began to play. Gripping her father's arm tightly, Hermione began to walk. She felt a brief tug as Ginny pulled at the train behind her to straighten it, and then the two bridesmaids fell into step behind her. As they turned down the central aisle, Hermione peered through her veil to find Ron, who was standing ready to meet her. As soon as she saw his nervous but excited face, her butterflies vanished. She really was ready.

The service passed in a blur, and almost before she knew it, the vicar was declaring them to be husband and wife, and she was heading back down the aisle, this time gripping the arm of her new husband. 

Of course, it would not be completely official until the wizarding ceremony later on, but that didn't matter to them.

They stayed at the church for an hour, taking photos, and talking to the friends and family members not coming to the reception. Eventually, the cold got too much, and they began to disperse, while the wizarding friends left to Apparate to The Burrow ready for the arrival of the bride and groom.

Molly Weasley had outdone herself on the decorations, and while Hermione had finalised most of the details, she couldn't deny that it was Molly's special touch that had made everything perfect. Another magical tent had been constructed, similar to that of Bill and Fleur's wedding, though with warming charms built in. There were more guests and more smiles, but this time Hermione walked down the aisle with Ron rather than her father. They were already married of course, and so it would have seemed strange to go through all of that again. The wizarding celebrant performed a blessing and created the magical union. It was a short ceremony but very meaningful and exactly what they had wanted. The day so far had been the perfect match of Muggle and magical. It was hard to believe that planning it could have caused so much stress.

Once the ceremony was over, dinner was served, and after eating, Hermione sat in her chair, Ron gripping her hand under the table, and simply looked out over the room. She hadn't been able to stop smiling since she had entered the church. Ron was the same. 

"I can't believe we did it," he whispered as he leaned over to give her a kiss.

"It was surprisingly easy in the end. Makes me wonder what we worried about."

"Maybe you should tell Ginny that. She and Harry are going to be next."

Hermione groaned a little. "Do you think we'll ever be free of weddings?"

Ron shrugged. "Probably not. But at least we got to go first!" 

Her retort was interrupted by the gentle chink of a fork against a champagne glass. She turned to find her father on his feet, clearing his throat nervously.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said, attempting to raise his voice loud enough to reach the edges of the tent. Seeing what he was trying to do, Molly Weasley, who was sitting next to him, subtly pointed her wand at this throat. Instantly, John's voice was magnified to fill the tent. He looked down at the witch gratefully.

"I don't know how these things work at wizarding weddings," John began again, looking out into the crowd. "But in the Muggle world, it is traditional for the father of the bride to lead a round of speeches and toasts. I promise not to keep you for too long, but I couldn't let the marriage of my only daughter pass without taking this opportunity to say publicly how happy her mother and I are.

"When Hermione left us at the age of eleven to enter your world, it is fair to say that we were terrified. We had no idea what would happen to her in this strange place that we knew nothing about, and where instead of maths and English, she would be taught Potions and Transfiguration.

"For the first few months, we worried constantly. But then, her letters home began to mention two names – that of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. These two boys were to become her best friends, and even though there were frequent letters about how infuriating Ron in particular could be, we began to feel happier about our daughter's life.

"It wasn't until a few years later that we found out quite how dangerous it could be to be best friends with Harry Potter." There were chuckles around the room at this point, and Harry blushed. "We received more than one worrying letter from the headmaster, but Hermione insisted that she knew what she was doing, and so we trusted her judgement. I probably don't know the half of what she got up to, but from what I have been told of, I am incredibly proud of what she has achieved as a witch. She proved to us that there was no reason to fear for her, because, as with everything else in her life, Hermione simply took all her new experiences in her stride.

"She was never alone though, and while Harry was usually involved, it quickly became clear that Ron was the special one. The way Hermione spoke of him was different, and while she would never have admitted it, we sensed that this young man was very important to her.

"I don't think I need to go into detail of all the times that Ron has been there for Hermione. We would be here all night. But in this terrifying world, where Jean and I couldn't look after our daughter, he took over, and I can never thank him enough for being her friend and making sure she was safe. I don't think we could ask for a better son-in-law, and I know that if he continues to show the same care and attention in their married life as he did in their young one, then they will be very happy together."

He stopped to wipe a tear from his cheek, and Hermione found her own eyes misting over. 

"Hermione," John, continued, picking up his champagne from the table, "nearly eight years ago, we let you leave us to enter a strange new world. Now, as you leave us again, we know we have nothing to be afraid of. We love you so much, and we wish you all the happiness in the world. And now, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to raise a toast to the bride and groom, to Hermione and Ron!"

There was an echo around the room as everyone followed suit and drank. Hermione jumped to her feet and threw her arms around her father. "I love you, Dad," she said, through the tears that were flowing freely down her cheeks. 

Once she had released him, he cleared his throat once again. "I would now like to pass over to the best man, Mr Harry Potter." 

There was a round of applause as he took his seat again and Molly removed the charm. Then Harry stood.

"I don't think there are many people who were surprised when Hermione and Ron finally realised they were meant for each other. Most of us had noticed years before." There was appreciative laughter from the younger guests. "Anyone who has ever witnessed one of their arguments will know quite how evenly matched these two are, but I think it is the times when they've worked together and been united that have shown the most about them.

"I don't really know what to say about the two of them. Traditionally the best man talks about the groom, but to talk about Ron without mentioning Hermione is almost impossible, and I feel honoured to call both of them my best friends. They've been with me through almost all of the best and worst moments of my life, and now I am privileged to get to be here with them at the start of theirs as husband and wife.

"At this point, I'm supposed to raise a toast of my own. I'd like to finish off by saying that I know there are people who would have wanted to be here today if they could. Fred, I'm sure, would have been pleased to see how well the book he gave you had worked out, Ron, and I know that we all miss him." 

It was Ron's turn to well up, and looking out into the see of faces, he could see George's face stained with rare tears as well. 

"There are of course, other people missing, and it would be too difficult to name them all. Instead I would like to raise a toast now, to absent friends."

He raised his glass and put it too his lips, and everyone in the room followed suit. There was more than one sniff heard in the moment of silence that followed, until Harry said, "Finally, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the groom."

Another round of applause followed and Ron got to his feet, shaking. This was the part of the wedding he had been looking forward to least ever since the planning began. 

"I'm not going to talk for long," he said. "But there are people that my wife and I-" He paused at the unnatural feeling of the words, "that my wife and I would like to thank," he continued after a pause.

"Our parents, of course, without whom we probably wouldn't have made it here today. I don't think Hermione or I realised quite what goes into a wedding, and we are incredibly grateful for their help.

"I would also like to say thank you to Harry and Ginny, my best friend and my best sister, who have always been there for us, not only today as best man and bridesmaid, but over the past eight years.

"Thank you to all of you for being here with us today. It means so much that we could have so many of our friends and family with us and we hope you will enjoy the rest of the evening as much as we have today.

"Finally, I would like to say to my wife, to Mrs Hermione Weasley, that I love you. There was a brief moment when I wasn't sure this day was going to happen and now that it has, I know that I simply can't picture life any other way. I cannot wait to spend the rest of our lives together, and I hope that I will be able to care for you and never let you down." He put out his hand and she stood and kissed him softly. They were both crying, but they were tears of complete and utter happiness.

The room broke out into applause once more, but this time there were no more speeches. Instead, Harry got to his feet once more and announced, "If you would be kind enough to leave the tent for five minutes, we will prepare for the dancing."

Everyone stood and filed towards the door. A team of wizards immediately began waving their wands to clear a space for the dance floor, and music began to pipe through the tent. When it was done the guests returned, but Ron and Hermione paused outside.

"Was it how you wanted it to be?" Ron asked seriously, an anxious look on his face.

"Better," she replied, smiling. "Though we still have the first dance to get through."

His face fell. "We really have to do that?"

She nodded. "We really do."

"Okay then, may as well get it over and done with." He took her hand firmly in his and led her back in to the tent. The guests were lining the edges of the dance floor and as the couple broke through the crowd, Harry's voice could be heard once again.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr and Mrs Ron and Hermione Weasley."

Standing in the middle of the dance floor, Ron put his arms around Hermione as she had taught him to do, and slowly they began to move. They laughed as confetti started to rain down on them from all sides, and even though he had been worrying about tripping or falling, or somehow embarrassing himself, all Ron had to do was look into the eyes of his wife, and everyone else disappeared.

They had each other now, and it was all they would ever need. 


End file.
